Friday, April 13
This Show Will Make You Smarter
WHAT: Wits
WHERE: Fitzgerald Theater, St. Paul
WHEN: 8 p.m.
Andy Richter and Reggie Watts, who were both part of Conan O’Brien’s live tour during his TV hiatus in 2010, reunite at the Fitzgerald for a night of comedy and music. Watts is both a standup comic and a wry hip-hop musician, a sort of Andy Kaufman meets Ice Cube. Learn more at fitzgeraldtheater.org
Friday, April 13
The Duchess of Coolville
WHAT: Rickie Lee Jones
WHERE: Pantages Theatre, Minneapolis
WHEN: 8 p.m.
It’s a strange nickname, but the Duchess of Coolville has undoubtedly earned it, collaborating with everyone from Tom Waits to Alison Krauss over the past 30 years. Her last release wasn’t an album but a concert film, shot in Stockholm, and she’ll reach back into her catalog for this show. Learn more at hennepintheatretrust.org.
Saturday, April 14
Sinatra Returns
WHAT: Sinatra: Nice ‘n’ Easy
WHERE: Capri Theater, Minneapolis
WHEN: 7 p.m.
Vocalist Jason Richards, who has studied Sinatra’s phrasing and style for decades, channels Ol’ Blue Eyes in this concert performance, backed by Rick Carlson on piano and the Wolverines Jazz Trio. Learn more at thecapritheater.org.
Saturday, April 14
Love Is in the Air
WHAT: Spring Awakening
WHERE: Rarig Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
Theater Latté Da stages this recent Broadway smash, an update of an 1891 coming-of-age tale, about two teens in love and the exhilarating rebellion of youth. Cat Brindisi, daughter of longtime Chanhassen Dinner Theatres director Michael Brindisi, stars as the young woman in question alongside her mom, Michelle Barber. Learn more at latteda.org.
Sunday, April 15
Bon Iver’s Muse
WHAT: Kathleen Edwards
WHERE: Varsity Theater, Minneapolis
WHEN: 7 p.m.
Kathleen Edwards may have come to Americans’ notice by way of her recent beau, Bon Iver. But the Canadian alt-country crooner has a decade-long career, leavening her folk-pop with the mix of quirkiness and innocence we’ve come to expect from our northern neighbors. Learn more at varsitytheater.org.
Sunday, April 15
Inside the barrio
WHAT: The House on Mango Street
WHERE: Southern Theater, Minneapolis
WHEN: 4 p.m.
Sandra Cisneros’ classic contemporary novel is a heart-warming family story about a girl growing up Mexican American in Chicago and this production, by Pangea World Theater and Teatro del Pueblo, boils down it all down into scenes of grace and tenderness. Learn more at southerntheater.org.